What does a corrosion engineer do?
A corrosion engineer plays a vital role in keeping machinery in good condition. They specialize in developing and implementing strategies to slow down or prevent corrosion, which damages machines and poses a threat to many industries. They conduct extensive research and analysis, create short- and long-term plans to combat corrosion, and develop new products. They may also perform repairs or upgrades on malfunctioning or damaged machinery, including replacing components as necessary.
Corrosion engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real corrosion engineer resumes:
- Accomplish QA of inspector worksheets during shipboard inspection, and generate certification report for government approval.
- Schedule field crews for CIS and DCVG surveys.
- Assess CIS, DCVG, ACVG and PCM results to develop remediation plans.
- Support SCC failures, welding and hydrostatic pressure testing of pipes.
- Investigate mechanical and corrosion behavior of aircraft grade aluminum alloys, steels, composites.
- Participate in a new material development/sealants and coatings to protect and prevent copper, aluminum and steel from corrosion.
- Design and implement application framework using POSIX standards on Linux OS for embed applications.
- Analyze and identify reported product problems by performing necessary source code debugging and make software or configuration fixes.
- Propose and implement an architecture with significantly improve availability characteristics.
- Propose and implement an architecture with significantly improve availability characteristics.
Corrosion engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Corrosion Engineers are proficient in Nace, API, and Cathodic Protection. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Corrosion Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Nace, 17%
Assess existing cathodic protection systems according to NACE criteria.
- API, 13%
Fostered ExtJS skill development and demonstrated sound coding practices using auto-generated API documentation, working code examples, and how-to documentation.
- Cathodic Protection, 10%
Determine when to use Impressed Current Cathodic Protection ICCP or Sacrificial anodes or combination of both depending on equipment and service/environment.
- Corrosion Control, 9%
Review, evaluate and make recommendations on implementation of the corrosion control requirements.
- Technical Support, 7%
Provided technical support to Inspectors and advised their use of the Risk Based Inspection program, Capstone RBMI.
- Failure Analysis, 4%
Conducted failure analysis of plant equipment which enabled the assessment of corrosion dam- age and implementation of remedial action.
"nace," "api," and "cathodic protection" are among the most common skills that corrosion engineers use at work. You can find even more corrosion engineer responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a corrosion engineer to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "materials engineers often work on projects related to other fields of engineering." Corrosion engineers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "analyze requirements and the design of appropriate corrosion control measures. "
Speaking skills. Another essential skill to perform corrosion engineer duties is speaking skills. Corrosion engineers responsibilities require that "while working with technicians, technologists, and other engineers, materials engineers must state concepts and directions clearly." Corrosion engineers also use speaking skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "worked on new product proposal and presented to product development senior management. "
Writing skills. This is an important skill for corrosion engineers to perform their duties. For an example of how corrosion engineer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "materials engineers must write plans and reports clearly so that people without a materials engineering background can understand the concepts." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a corrosion engineer: "used apache poi methods for writing to excel sheets in java. ".
Math skills. For certain corrosion engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a corrosion engineer rely on this skill, as "materials engineers use the principles of calculus and other advanced topics in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what corrosion engineers do: "assisted in developing a factnet mathematical model to predict the corrosion rate of carbon steel in white liquor. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a corrosion engineer to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what corrosion engineers relies on this skill, since "materials engineers must understand the relationship between materials’ structures, their properties, how they are made, and how these factors affect the products they are used to make." How this skill relates to corrosion engineer duties can be seen in an example from a corrosion engineer resume snippet: "developed solutions based on the requirements using java, javascript, and .net components. "
The three companies that hire the most corrosion engineers are:
- Burns & McDonnell5 corrosion engineers jobs
- The Chemours Company4 corrosion engineers jobs
- Aegion
3 corrosion engineers jobs
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Corrosion engineer vs. Engineering associate
An engineering associate is an individual whose job duties include analysis of project plans, development of product designs, and maintenance of equipment. The engineering fields where an engineering associate can find a job include civil, mechanical, and environmental. The requirements to qualify for the position include obtaining a bachelor's degree in engineering, familiarity with a specific industry, prior work experience related to the field, and possessing strong technical skills.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between corrosion engineers and engineering associate. For instance, corrosion engineer responsibilities require skills such as "nace," "corrosion control," "pipeline integrity," and "chemistry." Whereas a engineering associate is skilled in "python," "java," "cad," and "c++." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineering associates really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $88,950. Comparatively, corrosion engineers tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $122,182.On average, engineering associates reach lower levels of education than corrosion engineers. Engineering associates are 9.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Corrosion engineer vs. Research and development engineer
Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that corrosion engineer responsibilities requires skills like "nace," "cathodic protection," "corrosion control," and "pipeline integrity." But a research and development engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "python," "c #," "solidworks," and "cad."
Research and development engineers may earn a higher salary than corrosion engineers, but research and development engineers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,654. On the other hand, corrosion engineers receive higher pay in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $122,182.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research and development engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than corrosion engineers. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Corrosion engineer vs. Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from corrosion engineer resumes include skills like "nace," "cathodic protection," "corrosion control," and "pipeline integrity," whereas a mechanical engineer is more likely to list skills in "cad," "solidworks," "mechanical systems," and "mechanical design. "
Mechanical engineers earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $84,748. Comparatively, corrosion engineers have the highest earning potential in the energy industry, with an average salary of $122,182.When it comes to education, mechanical engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to corrosion engineers. In fact, they're 7.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Corrosion engineer vs. Mechanical design engineer
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between corrosion engineers and mechanical design engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a corrosion engineer might have more use for skills like "nace," "cathodic protection," "corrosion control," and "failure analysis." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of mechanical design engineers require skills like "cad," "mechanical design," "gd," and "creo. "
The automotive industry tends to pay the highest salaries for mechanical design engineers, with average annual pay of $87,483. Comparatively, the highest corrosion engineer annual salary comes from the energy industry.mechanical design engineers reach lower levels of education compared to corrosion engineers, in general. The difference is that they're 6.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of corrosion engineer
Updated January 8, 2025











